Collapsible containers of many forms are known. One form has a base with coupled side panels which can be folded down to overlying relationship one with the others and all in overlying relationship with the base. A particular form of this type of container is disclosed in Australian patent 694001.
In that patent application there is disclosed a collapsible container having two side panel pairs where the panels of each pair lie at opposite sides of a rectangular base. The panels are all permanently connected to a base, each by two links, to permit the side panels to be lowered to the collapsed condition from an upstanding condition. In the upstanding condition the side panels are maintained by engagement of panel bottom flanges with channels on the base. By the use of coupling means the side panels when upstanding are interconnected to form an enclosure.
The links in a preferred form disclosed in Australian patent 694001 each have an elongated body with parallel end spigots respectively permanently engaged in a bearing means fixed to the base and in a slot of a saddle member fixed to a panel. This arrangement works well but does not allow removal of a side panel from the base. For thorough cleaning of the container after use it is desirable to have one, if not all, of the side panels demountable from the base.
The present invention addresses this need in a manner which will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings.